Bus fare hike will cause delays says Peo

The increase in Nicosia bus fares will not only make consumers dig deeper in their pockets but will also cause delays across the entire bus network, making life harder for drivers and passengers alike, Peo charged on Wednesday.

In a strongly worded statement, the union called on Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades to re-examine the issue, urging him to hold a meeting over the matter.

General secretary of Peo’s Segdamelin branch Athos Eleftheriou said the bus fare going from €2 to €2.40 starting September, will mean drivers will almost always have to give lots of small change, and this will therefore take up more time.

“This will mean a few more minutes of a delay on some routes, and therefore drivers’ breaks will be shortened.”

Eleftheriou added mistakes are more likely to be made and drivers will likely have to pay out of pocket to rectify them.

“The extent of the problems created by these increases must be properly assessed and measures to resolve them must be taken,” he concluded.